TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD ESSAY Pointers for planning

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD ESSAY Pointers for planning your response. MK 2016

APPROACHING THE TASK – INITIAL BRAINSTORMING Ø Ask what theme the task focuses on and why it is important. Why do you think the author chose to adopt this as a theme? How does theme link with the idea of life lessons? Ø Look at the list of characters provided with the task and consider which you will cover in the exam. Which characters do you think exemplify theme well? Which show a contrast? Which characters will allow me to show off my knowledge of the novel best? Ø Plan out the examples you will write about for each character. Do these examples cover the breadth of the novel? Do the examples show a contrast? Ø Plan which character to address first, second and third. Is it better to cover a single character paragraph or compare and contrast within the same paragraph? (You decide. ) MK 2016 Ø Find the quotations you intend to use that best support each example. When

COMPARISION AND CONTRAST ESSAY INTRODUCTION Purpose: To expose and analyse How? – show your knowledge of the novel, illustrate characters and themes with excellent examples, draw upon your understanding of the context of the novel and explain the life lessons it teaches. Introduction: Ø Include something about the historical context of the novel and identify the author and title of the novel (1 -2 sentences) Ø What it teaches us about life lessons and what the key theme of your topic is. (1 sentence) Ø Identify the three characters you have chosen to exemplify theme. MK 2016

PARAGRAPHS REQUIRE PLANNING AND PURPOSE. You should ask yourself: What is the point of this paragraph? The topic sentence should clearly make that point. Use TEEL and write out your topic sentence plan first. Hit your target – what does this character tell readers about this particular theme? What examples prove this point clearly? MK 2016

INTEGRATE QUOTES TO SUPPORT YOUR POINTS Do forget to weave your quotes and provide a context for your quotes rather than leave them out on a limb. For example: Context Quote is adjusted to fit purposes. After a particularly tumultuous first day at school, the narrator explains that even though 'There are ways of keeping [the Ewells] in school by force… it's silly to force people like the Ewells into a new environment. ’ (p 30) This reveals the Ewell family does not value the education system at all. To them, it’s a foreign environment. Follow through with explanation of quote. Answer: why is this important? MK 2016

REMINDERS ABOUT WRITING ESSAYS ABOUT TEXTS: • Your topic sentence (first sentence of the paragraph) needs to make your point clearly. It should not be vague. • Evidence should be specific and plentiful. One point per character / family is not enough. • Refer to the events in the text in present tense. • The link at the end of the paragraph should be just as clear as the topic sentence – what conclusion have you drawn based on the evidence you’ve been discussing? • Avoid informal language such as “This tells us” or “So you see…” MK 2016

Pink: Topic Sentence Yellow: Pieces of evidence Green: Link Black: commentary MK 2016

A STRONG EXAMPLE ON THEME OF RESPONSIBILITY: Although the Ewells and the Cunninghams are from the poorer classes of Maycomb and have felt the full effects of The Great Depression, the two families hold very different values and attitudes regarding theme of responsibilty. The Cunninghams are hard-working and “never take what they can’t pay back. ” (p 21) We learn from Scout that Mr Cunningham pays what he owes as best he can with produce from his farm. They don’t expect or accept favours. They uphold their image as respectable citizens of Maycomb as best they can. Walter even attends school in “a clean shirt and neatly mended overalls” which shows they value their public image and educational opportunities. (20) In direct contrast, Bob Ewell is said to have “never done an honest day’s work in his life. ” Burris, his son, attends school only on “the first day every year and then leave[s]”. (29) The Ewells also expect to be treated differently – laws are broken to allow them to hunt out of season and the Ewells take advantage of this. All in all, the Cunninghams show they have a stronger values system than the Ewells and take more pride and responsibility in themselves because they make the best of what they have without taking advantage of the townspeople’s kindness or causing a MK 2016